I also spoke to someone today at the start of his independent consultancy business. He is long enough into it to have discovered that his ex Corporate colleagues and contacts are not his network at all. They are part of his old Corporate network. It surprised him that they weren't there for him, as it surprises a lot of people. He recognises that he needs to build the sort of trusted relationships that I refer to in the 1st paragraph above. He also has the financial imperative to find some clients quickly.
It's absolutely essential for him to get clarity on 3 things quickly;
- His target market
- The problem he solves for them
- The positive outcome of his intervention
Good Networking!
Dave Clarke